1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a convertible vehicle with a roof, which is at least partially covered with a flexible roof covering, which is supported from below by one or more bows that extend transversely to the direction of vehicle travel, wherein at least one bow is designed with multiple parts and has a middle section that is connected to lateral mounting fixtures.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is well known that in convertible vehicles with flexible roof coverings, e.g., textile or plastic roof coverings, the roof covering can be stretched over bows that extend essentially transversely to the vehicle. In this regard, there are vehicles with multipart bows, which have, for example, a middle section made of a first material and lateral mounting fixtures made of other, e.g., more flexurally stiff, materials, with which the bows are held on lateral frame parts of a roof frame.
If the lateral mounting fixtures and the middle section are screwed together, the heads of the screws extend relatively far into the interior and thus constitute a source of annoyance and a potential hazard to the occupants of the vehicle, especially in the case of low-lying sports cars with little head clearance, or require the installation of a roof-liner, which covers the screw heads but also rubs against them and is thus subject to wear. Moreover, precisely with this type of vehicle it is desirable to design the bows as thin as possible in order to limit the head clearance of the occupants as little as possible. However, this makes it more difficult for the screws to engage firmly, since the thin component can accommodate only a short length of thread.